The Seven Dwarves (D&D 4e)

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Just a note to say I spiced up the skill challenge, a little, for the PCs to lift out the seal- in the text it plays out over five rounds, my version required four hours of set-up to get to the five rounds. I mainly did this because one of the players studied (I think) to be a civil engineer (or some such), and one of the other players is a forklift driver, regardless they were having fun so I extended the play and allowed them to break out the paper and pencils to draw their seal lifting pulley system.

I figure all Dwarves are like this, frustrated builders with a stubby pencil behind their ear and a tape measure inside their overalls, itching to get stuff built.

The minimum time needed to lift the seal is four hours and four rounds, the guys manage it in four hours and five rounds.

Below the great seal is a circular shaft, intricately carved with various depictions of Dwarven warriors and their kin- Ragnarr is secured and lowered down, the poor chap is a little excited- he thinks he’s the Dwarven version of Indiana Jones, he’s lowered into an empty chamber with a corridor leading from it.

Ragnarr scouts out the passageway and the chamber beyond, or at least he has a look in- an empty octagonal chamber with what looks to be the corpse of a dwarf, he scurries back to relay his news to his colleagues.

After a short discussion it is decided, the Dwarves descend- they’re going to check out the area properly.

Just to say the mood around the table has darkened a little (actually a lot), doubt is starting to creep in…

The Octagonal chamber is in area 1-19A on the map (see below).

The adventurers head on in, the leering dwarf corpse has half a key in its hand- the other half has been snapped off, and another key still intact- also a ruby hidden in his boot, the chamber is thoroughly searched but there’s no key hole, or anything else for that matter, to be found.

The adventurers head south, down an elaborately carved wide passage, dotted with alcoves containing statues of dwarf warriors- the first is thoroughly examined, the passage slopes down.